Conveyor assembly

ABSTRACT

The invention is directed to a conveyor assembly for use in conveying a load from a first device or member to a second device or member. The conveyor assembly has a frame with a pair of frame support members spaced from each other in an essentially parallel manner. A pair of belts are provided proximate the frame support members, with each belt having a wide portion and a narrow portion. The wide portions of the belts cooperate with surfaces of the frame support members when the belts are in a first position. The wide portions of the belt cooperate with a container such that as the belt is moved from the first position to the second position, the container is moved accordingly. The narrow portion allows a transport assembly to be moved into and out of the conveyor assembly, whereby the configuration of the belt allows the conveyor assembly to be used for containers which are more narrow than the transport assembly, thereby effectively providing the transport assembly with an effectively smaller width.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an assembly, which is utilized to transfer aload from a first device to a second device. In particular, theinvention is directed to a conveyor assembly configured to accept morenarrow loads than could previously be accommodated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As companies are continually required to reduce price in order to staycompetitive, costs of production must be driven down. It is notsufficient to merely analyze material costs, all costs includingproduction-handling costs and storage costs must be made cost effective.

One method to eliminate costs and improve efficiency is to utilizeautomated storage and retrieval systems, both during production and inwarehousing. One such system is disclosed in a brochure entitled “TakeControl with Emtrol—Automated Pan and Trough Storage—Retrieval Systems”.While this system is shown for use in the baking industry, the conceptscan be utilized in any industry in which inventory must be stored andretrieved. These systems allow for immediate personnel reductions,greater effective floor capacity and increased production.

It is important to note that loads handled by the automated systems arenot specifically designed to make the system operate more effectively.Rather the loads have generally been designed to function with theproduction equipment to produce the finished goods or for optimumperformance of the material. For instance, in the baking industry, theloads consist of baking pans or containers. The pans have beendimensioned to work with the baking or processing equipment and to allowoptimum use of the dough. The dimensions of the pans are not and cannotbe governed by the retrieval system. Consequently, the retrieval systemmust be designed around the optimal configuration of the pans.

To date containers of all sizes required in the industry have beenaccommodated. However, due to the limitations of components of thesystem, some of the more narrow containers have occupied more space thannecessary, resulting in a less than optimum use of the overall spacerequired for the system. One such practical limitation of the systemoccurs due to the physical requirements for the transport vehicle. Thesetransport vehicles, as exemplified in the U.S. patent application Ser.No. 08/978,835 filed Nov. 26, 1997, are constructed to provide heavylifting capacity in a simple and compact lift. As the weight of the loadincreases, the internal cams, gearboxes and motors of the transportvehicle must increase in order to handle the loads effectively. If theoverall dimensions of the transport vehicle increase beyond thedimensions required to support the smallest load, the transport vehiclerather than the load is what governs the grid spacing. This is not adesired result as it causes the overall system cost to increase.

Although the actual size of the transport vehicle can only be reduced sofar without effecting the power and physical stability thereof, it wouldbe beneficial if parts of the remainder of the system could be modifiedto give the transport vehicle an effectively smaller width.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a conveyor assembly for use in conveying aload from a first device to a second device. The conveyor assembly has aframe with a pair of frame support members spaced from each other in anessentially parallel manner. A pair of belts are provided proximate theframe support members, with each belt having at least one wide portionand at least one narrow portion. The wide portions of the beltscooperate with surfaces of the frame support members when the belts arein a first position. In operation, the load is positioned on the wideportions of the belts so that as the belts are moved from the firstposition to a second position, the load is moved to the second device.Circular members are provided at the ends of the frame support membersand cooperate with the belts, such that as the belts are moved betweenthe first and second positions, the circular members are movedaccordingly.

The wide portions of the belt cooperate with a container such that asthe belt is moved from the first position to the second position, thecontainer is moved accordingly. The narrow portion allows a transportassembly to be moved into and out of the conveyor assembly, whereby theconfiguration of the belt allows the conveyor assembly to be used forcontainers which are more narrow than the transport assembly, therebyeffectively providing the transport assembly with an effectively smallerwidth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a storage retrieval system showing the generallayout;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the storage retrieval systemshown in the areas outlined by the dotted line in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the conveyor assembly of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the conveyor assembly with a containeror load being moved onto the assembly and the belts positioned in thefirst position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the conveyor assembly showing thecontainer positioned on the conveyor assembly and the transport vehiclepositioned below the container;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the conveyor assembly showing thecontainer positioned on the conveyor assembly and the transport vehiclebeing removed therefrom;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the conveyor assembly showing thecontainer or load moved from the conveyor assembly and the beltspositioned in the second position;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view showing the position of the wheels ofthe transport vehicle in relation to the belts when the belts are in thefirst position; and

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the prior art showing the positionof the wheels of the transport vehicle in relation to the prior artbelts when the belts are in the first position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall layout of a container storage andretrieval system 20. The system is used to store containers 22. Thelength of time and purpose of the storage varies depending upon theprocess being performed and the material involved. In this particularinstance, several types of containers are maintained in a “stored”position while others types are used in production.

The system 20 has a shuttle 24 that moves along track 26 in thedirection indicated by arrow A shown in FIG. 1. The shuttle isconfigured to accommodate a transport vehicle 28 therein, as shown inFIG. 2. As the shuttle 24 is moved, the transport vehicle 28 is housedcompletely on shuttle 24 thereby allowing the transport vehicle 28 tomove with shuttle 24.

Container storage aisles 30 are provided proximate track 26. Aisles 30have tracks that cooperate with wheels of the transport vehicle 28. Thelongitudinal axis of the tracks 26 for the shuttle are essentiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tracks for aisles 30,thereby allowing the transport vehicle to move from the shuttle into thetracks of a respective aisle 30 to pick up or deposit a container 22.For a more detailed description of the overall operation of thetransport vehicle 28, refer to U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/978,855 filed Nov. 26, 1997, which is hereby incorporated byreference.

In the container storage and retrieval system illustrated in thedrawings, the container 22 (or group of containers) is maintained instorage for a length of time At the appropriate time, the transportvehicle 28 recovers the container, and in conjunction with the shuttle24 moves the container to conveyor assembly 40. It should be noted thatvarious shapes and sizes of containers are manipulated through thestorage and retrieval system. Consequently, for the system to becompletely automated, the transport vehicle 28 must be designed to moveand lift the largest container as well as the smallest container.

Conveyor assembly 40 has a first end or transport vehicle entrance end42 and a second end or load conveyance end 44. A pair of rails 46extends from the first end 42 toward the second end 44. Proximate rails46 near the second end 44 are transport vehicles stops 48, as shown inFIG. 3. Rails 46 and transport vehicle stops 48 extend from and areintegral with respective side frame members 50. The longitudinal axis ofthe frame members are essentially parallel to each other. Each sideframe member 50 has a bottom surface 54 and a top surface 52 which has awear strip 72 attached thereto. At either end of each frame member 50are attached circular members or wheels 56. The wheels 56 are mounted onthe frame members in a manner, which allows each wheel to rotate aboutits center. On each frame member, a belt or chain 58 extends betweencircular members 56. Each belt 58 has a narrow section 60 and a widesection 62. The narrow section and wide section combine to form acontinuous belt. As best shown in FIG. 3, the particular belt 58illustrated in the figures is made from narrow metal links 68 and widemetal links 70. However, the belt may be made from plastic, rubber, orother substances depending on load, environmental and/or industryrequirements. These belts may be produced utilizing links or by molding,cutting or other known operations. A pair of lugs or container loadstops 64 are provided on the top surface 52 of each side frame 50, aswill be more fully discussed below.

A motor 66 is attached to a respective side frame member. The motorshown is electric but can be powered by other means depending on theenvironment in which it is used and the load that must be moved.

Referring to FIG. 4, the container 22 and transport vehicle 28 aremoved, in the direction indicated by arrow B, into cooperation withconveyor assembly 40. As the transport vehicle and container are moved,the transport vehicle passes through the transport vehicle entrance end42 of the conveyor assembly 40, causing the wheels 32 of the transportvehicle 28 to be positioned proximate circular members 56 and side framemembers 50 of the conveyor assembly 40. In fact, referring to FIG. 8,the distance X that the portion of the side frame members 50 adjacentwheels 56 must be spaced apart is governed by the distance Y providedbetween the outside surface of opposed wheels 32 of the transportvehicle 28. In other words, distance X must be slightly greater thandistance Y in order to allow the transport vehicle 28 to move into andout of the conveyor assembly 40.

As viewed in FIG. 9, which shows the prior art, chain 58′ is acontinuous chain or belt which has a constant width when viewed in crosssection. As the belt is continuous and has a constant width, the entirebelt must be spaced from its counterpart belt by a distance more than Y.If the belts were spaced closer than Y, the wheels 32 of the transportvehicle 28 could not pass beyond the belts 58′ and consequently, thetransport vehicle 28 could not be moved into cooperation with theconveyor assembly 40′. Therefore, the distance Y between outsidesurfaces of the wheels 32 effectively governs the spacing of the sideframe members and the belt 58′. In practical terms, the width of thecontainer 22 can not be less than X, as a container with a width lessthan X will not engage both belts 58′. In fact, as illustrated in FIG.9, the container must have a width which is greater than X in order toallow for sufficient cooperation between the container and the belts toinsure error free operation.

While the prior art conveyor and chain works well for many applications,it is becoming increasingly important to minimize the area of thecontainer, thereby allowing less floor space to be occupied by thecontainer storage and retrieval system. In order to accomplish this,FIG. 8 illustrates the current invention. As is readily seen, theinvention allows the chains 58 to effectively be closer together,allowing the portions of the belts to be spaced apart a distance lessthan Y. This in turn allows the conveyor assembly 40 to accommodate acontainer with a smaller width than could previously be accommodated. Aseach container can be smaller, occupying less space, more containers canbe stored in the same floor space. In many applications, the storage andretrieval system must accommodate containers of varying size. The use ofthe chains 58 allows the containers to be designed for optimum use forthe load, eliminating the need to maintain an arbitrary minimum widthrequired by the physical dimensions of the transport vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 4, conveyor assembly 40 is shown in its initial orfirst position, in which it is positioned to receive the transportvehicle 28 and the container 22. The chains 58 are positioned such thatthe wide sections 62 are proximate the rails 46 and in proximity to thewear strips 72 provided on side members 50. In the embodiment shown,when the belts are in this first position, the wide sections 62 do notengage the circular members 56, the narrow sections 60 cooperate withthe circular members 56. With the chain 58 in this initial position, thewheels 32 of the transport vehicle 28 can enter in the first end 42 ofthe conveyor assembly 40 without engaging chains 58, thereby allowingthe transport vehicle 28 and container 22 to move to the position shownin FIG. 5.

The chain or belt used can be configured in many different ways. Thefact that the narrow links 68 extend more than half way around theperimeter of the chain provides some advantage, as will be discussed.However, the only requirement is that the narrow links 68 engage thewheels 32 at the transport vehicle entrance 42 when the transportvehicle 28 is moved into and away from the conveyor assembly 40.

As the transport vehicle 28 moves from the position shown in FIG. 4 tothe position shown in FIG. 5, the transport vehicle stops 48 prevent theover travel of the transport vehicle 28. With the transport vehicle 28properly positioned, the transport vehicle lowers the container 22,placing the bottom of the container in contact with the wide section 62of the chain 58. The top portion of the transport vehicle 28 continuesto be lowered away from container 22 until the vehicle and container areno longer in contact with each other. The container 22 rests entirely onwide sections 62 of chains 58. The chains 58 rest upon wear surfaces 72for extra support. Container load stops 64 are positioned to insure thatthe container cannot be inadvertently moved back toward the transportvehicle entrance 42. The stops 64 will engage the container 22 toprevent this movement when the container is positioned on the chain.

With the container 22 supported by the wide sections 62 of chains 58,the transport vehicle 28 is backed out, as shown in FIG. 6. Either afterthe vehicle is backed out or as the vehicle is being backed out, themotor 66 is started, causing the chains 58 to move around circularmembers 56, toward the second position. This movement of the chaincauses the container to be moved to the next station, as shown in FIG.7. If a sufficient number of narrow links 68 are provided to allow thenarrow section 60 to be of sufficient length, the transport vehicle 28and chain 58 can be moved at the same time, thereby eliminating needlessidle time for the transport vehicle. In order to accomplish this, thelength of the narrow section 60 must be sufficient to allow the narrowsection to remain in engagement with the wheels 32 at the transportvehicle entrance 42 as the chain is moved between the first and secondpositions. In the second position, the wide sections 62 of the chainsare moved into engagement with respective wheels 56 positioned at theload conveyance end 44. As the wide sections do not engage the wheels atthe transport vehicle entrance 42, the transport vehicle is able to moveinto and out of the conveyor assembly even when the chain is in thesecond position. Once the container has been moved past the loadconveyance end 44, the motor 66 is reversed and the chain 58 is returnedto the position indicated in FIG. 4. With the chain returned to thefirst position, the chains and conveyor assembly are positioned torepeat the process.

By providing the chain with a wide portion and a narrow portion, smallercontainers can be accommodated. As space requirements in manymanufacturing, storage and/or warehouse facilities are always of primaryconcern; the use of the invention provides a significant advantage.

It is worth noting that as the transport vehicle must be designed toaccommodate containers of varying size (the stability of the transportvehicle must be maintained and the equipment housed in the vehiclecannot be eliminated), the width of the vehicle cannot be reduced.Consequently, the invention described herein allows smaller containersto be accommodated without effecting the reliability of the storage andretrieval system.

While the figures show a container being moved from a transport vehicleto a next station, the invention is equally applicable when moving acontainer from a station to a transport vehicle. Other changes inconstruction will occur to those skilled in the art and variousapparently different modifications and embodiments may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in theforegoing description and the accompanying drawings is offered by way ofillustration only. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoingdescription be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting. Thefollowing claims should, therefore, be interpreted to include allequivalent embodiments within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A continuous belt for use in a conveyor assembly,the continuous belt being movable from a first position to a secondposition, the continuous belt comprising: a wide portion whichcooperates with a container such that as the belt is moved from thefirst position to the second position, the container is movedaccordingly, a narrow portion which allows a transport assembly to bemoved into and out of the conveyor assembly, whereby the configurationof the belt allows the conveyor assembly to be used for containers whichare more narrow than the transport assembly.
 2. A continuous belt asrecited in claim 1 wherein the belt is made of rubber.
 3. A continuousbelt as recited in claim 1 wherein the belt is made of metal links whichare joined together, the metal links of the wide portion being largerthan the metal links of the narrow portion.
 4. A continuous belt asrecited in claim 1 wherein the narrow portion extends a distance whichis over half of the distance of the perimeter of the belt.
 5. A conveyorassembly for use in conveying a load from a first member to a secondmember, the conveyor assembly comprising; a frame with a pair of framesupport members spaced from each other in an essentially parallelmanner, a pair of belts provided proximate the frame support members,each belt having a wide portion and a narrow portion, the wide portionsof the belts cooperate with surfaces of the frame support members whenthe belts are in a first position, whereby the load is positioned on thewide portions of the belts so that as the belts are moved from the firstposition to a second position, the load is moved to the second member.6. A conveyor assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein circular membersare provided at the ends of the frame support members, the circularmembers cooperate with the belts, such that as the belts are movedbetween the first and second positions, the circular members are movedaccordingly.
 7. A conveyor assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein thebelt is made of metal links which are joined together, the metal linksof the wide portion being larger than the metal links of the narrowportion.
 8. A conveyor assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein the narrowportion extends a distance which is over half of the distance of theperimeter of the belt.
 9. A conveyor assembly as recited in claim 6wherein the belt is made of rubber.
 10. A conveyor assembly used to movea load from a first location to a second location, the conveyor assemblycomprising; at least two frame members spaced from each other, thelongitudinal axis of the frame members being essentially parallel witheach other, circular members provided proximate the ends of the framemembers, the circular members mounted on the frame members in a mannerso as to permit the rotation of the circular members relative to theframe members, belts provided proximate the frame members, the beltsengage and cooperate with the circular members, the belts being movablebetween a first position and a second position, each belt having a wideportion and a narrow portion, the narrow portions are provided inengagement with the circular members when the belts are in the firstposition, a motor which causes the belts to be moved between the firstposition and the second position, whereby the belts cooperate with theload such that as the belts are moved from the first position to thesecond position, the load is moved from the first location to the secondlocation.
 11. A conveyor assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein thewide portions of the belts engage the circular members provided a loadconveyance end of the conveyor assembly when the belts are in the secondposition.
 12. A conveyor assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein thebelt is made of metal links which are joined together, the metal linksof the wide portion being larger than the metal links of the narrowportion.
 13. A conveyor assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein thenarrow portion extends a distance which is over half of the distance ofthe perimeter of the belt.
 14. A conveyor assembly as recited in claim10 wherein the belt is made of rubber.